UK

Asylum row: Government approves new laws to return migrants to UK

The spat between Dublin and London arose after justice minister Helen McEntee said 80 per cent of international protection applicants in Ireland were now arriving through the land border with the North

Helen McEntee secured approval for the emergency legislation after stating that 80 per cent of international protection applicants were now coming from the UK. Picture: Fergal Phillips

An amendment to Irish law which will allow asylum seekers to be returned to the United Kingdom has received government approval today, as a diplomatic row between the British and Irish governments over migration policy continued.

While the Irish government has insisted the amendment is just a technical fix to an agreement that has been in place with the British government since 2020, Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, has said he is “not interested” ...